Car-coupling



(No Model.)

W. A. POST.

GAR GOUPLING. Bla-406,305. Patented July 2, 1889.

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lN. PETERS, Pnmmmgnphef. wunmgm". n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

IVALTER A. POST, OF NEWPORT NEWTS, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,305, dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed January 29, 1889. Serial No. 297.906. (No model.)

To all wtom it '1f/tray concern.-

Be it kn own that I, IVALTER A. POST, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newport News, lVarw'ick county, Virginia, have invented certain Improvements in Oar- Couplings, of which the following is a speci fication.

My invention consists of certain improvements in automatic car-couplings of the character shown in Patent No. 393,660 granted to me November 27, 1888; and its object is to improve and simplify the means of attaching such a coupling to the cars, a further object being to so construct the devices that the cars will be automatically uncoupled in the event of the derailment of one of the cars.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an end view of a freight car, showing my improved coupling in position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing two cars coupled. Fig. 3 is a -detached perspective view of the coupling; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the construction of the pocket for attaching said coupling to the car.

A is the body of the car, B the common draw-head or coupler, and O the bumperblock. The two coupling-heads E .and F are cast together, with an extension running back to the pivot-point, the casting being of substantially the same form as that'shown in my former patent, each casting having two heads, to one of which is pivoted a couplingbar, and in the other is formed an opening or pocket to receive the end of a coupling-bar, the front of the head being inclined so that the coupling-bar will ride up its face and drop into the pocket. This casting fits into a pocket P, secured to the frame of the car, and is pivoted therein by a flat-sided pin d, running through a slot g on the casting, one end of a spring e being also carried in said slot g, with one of its ends resting against the ilat side of the pivot-pin and the opposite end bearing against the end of the slot. As

this spring may be somewhat larger in diameter than the thickness of the casting, the pocket is cut away, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit the lateral movement of the spring.

In order to permit a free lateral movement of the casting, I place flat springs b on the longitudinal stringers a, so that such springs will bear upon the coupling-heads E and F in opposite directions, tending to center them, while permitting a great range of lateral movement.

As the casting does not extend far enough into the pocket P to be held in al perfectly horizontal position, I provide a strap m, passing underneath the casting at its outer end and fastened to the car by bolts n. The strip does not fit closely to the sides of the casting, enough space being left to permit its lateral movement. a

For ordinary use in uncoupling cars l use the same arrangement of levers and operating devices as that shown in my former pat ent, consisting of a bar J, pivoted to the center of the car and extending transversely across the same, withv operating-handles j upon .its opposite ends, rods k and l, extending from the bar to the operating-positions, and one being connected directly to the pivoted coupling-bar, and adapted to raise the same fromV its pocket in the opposite head, and the other being fulcrumed to a plate at the bottom of the orifice in the couplinghead, the endof the coupling-bar resting upon this plate and. being lifted out of the head when said plate is raised.

The lever K at the top of the car, connected by a rod z5 to the transverse bar J, may also be employed to uneouple the cars from that position, if desired.

I have found that it is desirable, in the event of the derailment of one of the cars, to detach the same from the remainder of the train; and to this end I have pivoted upon the top of each of the heads F a plate 7L, connected to a rocking lever o, pivoted at its center to the car, and having its opposite end connected to the rod Z.

The construction of the heads E, to which the coupling-bars are pivoted, is such that the bars are held in a perfectly horizontal position, and cannot fall below a certain level; therefore, if a car be derailed, the coupling-bar on the next ear, remaining per.- fectly level, will raise the plate n or head F as the car sinks, thus operating the lever o and depressing the lever Z, and thus raising the opposite coupling-bar out of its pocket through the medium of the lever J and rod k.

IOO

This pivoted plate 7L also Serves to prevent the enti-allee of water to the pocket and the Choking' up of the pocket by iee oil dust. This plate 7L is raised when coupling ears, the Coupling-bm' raising it when moving up the face of the head E, rendering the coupling very easy.

In attaching my improved Coupling to new ems the pocket P een be dispensed with, and it is Simply necessary to pivot the Casting dileet to the ordinfuy di'mv-head.

1 Claim as my inventionl. The combination, in :t emeoup1ing, of the opposite Coupling-heads, an oi'iee in the top of one of said heads to ifeeeive the eonp lingdizu eznried by the other head, with n` vertically-hinged top piece covering Seid orif'ee and adapted to be raised by the entrance or withdl'mml of the Coupling-bin.' from the head, seid top piece being' eonneeted to :t System of levers operating the eonpliilg-bms for the purpose of nneonplng1 the ems, sub- Stnntinlly as specified.

2. 'The combination, in a emeonp1ing,of it Casting' emi-ying; two coupling-heads, a lateitl1y-extended pocket for reeeiving said casting and to which it is pivoted by L vertied pin to permit of the lateral movement of the casting in the pocket, Substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in L eznf-eoupling, of :L casting emi-ying' two eonpiingdieads, a iaterally-extended poe-kot foi' receiving Said Casting, and to which it is pivoted by a vel'- tiezil pin, and 5L sp1-ing` interposed between the Casting and the rear of the pivot-pin, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my immo to this speei [iezttion in thelnesenee of two Subselibing witnesses.

XVAL'IER A. POST.

\Vtnesses:

W. VI I. HOPKINS, THEO. LIVEZEY. 

